Cameroon: Ambazonia Governing Council files genocide claims against Biya's government at ICJ

The Southern Cameroons Governing Council officially informs the ICC on genocide actions committed in Southern Cameroons by La Republique forces and its sponsors

Southern Cameroons,Ambazonia

THE GOVERNING COUNCIL

International Criminal Court The Hague, the Netherlands You r Lordship

SUBJECT: Application for Investigation against Identified Government officials of La République Du Cameroun Genocide and Crimes against Humanity committed on the people of Southern Cameroons (Ambazonia)

This Application is made in accordance With Article 158(1) of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. which mandates the Prosecutor to initiate investigations priori motu on the basis of information on crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court

The undersigned. whose address appears above, have the honour to request you to undertake any appropriate method of investigation in connection with the ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity committed on the people of Southern Cameroons/Ambatonia (North West and South West Regions of Cameroon as people are made to belief in violation of Articles 6 and 7 of the Rome Statute, consequent upon Government's intransigence in carrying out such investigation as requested by the UN Secretary General following the killings and atrocities of the first of October 2017.

The following personalities/government officials are in their individual capacities. directly responsible for the killings, torture and maiming, rape, abduction and forcible transfer of abductees and disappearances Since October 2016:

The background to the current crisis that has met with excessive armed repression. which ii and urgent Motion is not taken may escalate the on-going Crimes against humanity. stems deprivation of the right to Which has led to the Violation of a range of Other universally recognised human rights, particularly the right to life and security of the human person. The facts are brief.

Following legitimate anti government protests and Civil disobedience initiated by common law lawyers and teachers' trade unions Since October 2016, the government's excessively lethal response has left hundreds of the people of Southern Cameroons/Ambazonia dead. and others wounded while the entire Southern Cameroons/Ambazonian population remains subjected to repression with recorded instances of cruel and inhumane treatment, rape. abductions, extra-judicial killings and disappearances.

In the last couple of weeks since the 22" of September 2017, demonstrations culminating in the commemoration of the Southern Cameroons/Ambazonia independence on the 1st October 2017, the above named persons orchestrated the Shooting of civilian (With peace plants in their hands) in the Streets of major Cities and towns Within the Southern Cameroons/Ambazonia (Or legitimately asserting the right to self-determination, to exist as a separate state. Over 5O people. including children are confirmed dead while Some are hospitalised for Sustaining gun Shots and hundred Others remain missing.

May We be permitted to draw the attention to the fallowing provisions of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal that have been Continuously and systematically violated in the Course of the 56 years Since 1961 which has in precipitating the present revolt by the people of Southern Cameroons/Ambazonia. Article 6: Genocide a) Killing members of the people of Southern Cameroons/Ambazoniab) Causing serious body or mental harm (torture, maiming aand incarceration in lifelessbunkers) to the people of the Southern Cameroons/Ambazonia: c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical in whole or in (cultural genocide perpetrated through the imposition of the French language in schools and courts); d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group(vaccination of school in the 1990s); Article 7:; Crimes against Humanity

a) Murder (on-going killings since December 2016 when 8 young protesters were shot to on the streets of Bamenda to the recent killings on 1st of October 2017); b) Extermination (the government's policy of assimilation into the dominant francophone system is intended to exterminate the minority Southern Cameroons/Ambazonia population). C) Enslavement (56 of treatment as second class citizens with an extensive record ofdiscriminatory practices against the people of Southern Cameroons/Ambazonia);

d) Deportation or forcible transfer of population (abductions and arbitrary transfer of the abductees to prisons detention facilities in Yaoundé and Cities in La République du Cameroun):

e) Imprisonment or Other severe deprivation of physical liberty in Violation of fundamental rules of international law (many of the Southern Cameroons/Ambazonian leaders and activists are Still currently detained arbitrarily in bunkers and concentration camps in Yaoundé);

f) Torture (many recorded instances of torture and degrading treatment, includingagainst women and Children of Southern Cameroons/Ambazonian decent): g) Rape (rape of Students of the University of Buea among Other instances are on record): h) persecution (hate speech propagated with impunity by people of La Republic du On public media and arbitrary arrest and detention of people of the Cameroons/Ambazonia with no apparent offence except the fact that they are from that part of the country; i) Enforced disappearance of persons (many families have since 2016 reported the disappearance of their family members whose whereabouts remain unknown to this date);

j) The crime of apartheid (apartheid style discriminatory treatment perpetrated by the government against the people of the Southern Camecoons Ambazonia. For example, internet access was shutdown in the whole of the Southern Cameroons/Ambazonia territory for 93 days 17 January to 20 April 2017 While the rest of the Freach speaking part of the country enjoyed unperturbed access to internet. Currently also, internet is suspended in the whole of the Southern Cameroons/Ambatonia since 1st of October 2017 While the rest of the country remains connected to internet);

k) Other inhumane acts of a similar character intentionally causing great suffering or serious injury to body or to the mental or physical health. Attached to this application are Video footages, newspaper photos, audio recordings and press statements issued by human rights relating to atrocities committed on the people of the Southern Cameroons/Ambazonia.